The subject application relates generally to an apparatus for a header of an agricultural harvester, such as, but not limited to, a combine, windrower or the like. In particular, the subject application relates to a hood divider adjustment apparatus for an agricultural harvester.
An agricultural harvester i.e., a plant cutting mechanism, such as, but not limited to, a combine or a windrower, generally includes a header operable for severing and collecting or gathering plant or crop material as the machine is driven over a field. The header will have a plant cutting mechanism for severing the plants or crops, which can comprise, as a non-limiting example, an elongate sickle mechanism sidewardly reciprocatingly movable relative to a non-reciprocating guard structure or a row unit with gathering chains and deck plates. At each end of the plant cutting mechanism and possibly at other locations along the width thereof, the header will typically include a divider which projects forwardly of the cutting mechanism and which moves through the crop in advance thereof for separating those plants that will be cut from adjacent plants. For standing crops such as wheat and other grasses, the dividers are located some distance above the ground surface. For other grains, particularly legumes such as soybeans, the divider will be located very close to, on, or intermittently on, the ground, and will additionally function to lift and separate laid over crops, to divide those in front of the cutting mechanism that are to be cut, from those that have laid over into the path of the divider from the side.
Conventional divider support apparatuses are bulky and their adjustment mechanism is mounted below gathering chains of a header row unit. As a result, to access the divider support a user must go between the gathering chains. Further, to access the adjustment mechanism of the divider support apparatus, a user must raise the divider to an up position to access the adjustment mechanism. This limited access to the divider support's adjustment mechanism makes operation of the harvester more difficult when such dividers are to be adjusted during harvesting operations.